James Bond for a day...
We started our tour through the bay after breakfast in the muslim fishing village Ko Panyi. First we toured through small channels surrounded by green rainforest. High water level caused the trees to be flooded and still the roots sticked out the water up to a metre. Passing through the first limestone carsts we arrived at a "tunnel" under a big limestone carst behind which we turned around to get into the main bay.
We continued our way through the beautiful bay, which is packed with exiting limestone formations and...

05 May 06 - To Khao Sok National Park
Got a 0930 bus from nearby to the hotel, which was full of Thai people which was nice. We were taken to the Raja port, and walked onto the boat waiting there while the bus drove on. The boat left on time promptly at 1000 and we arrived at Don Sak about 90 minutes later. We then drove to Surat Thani, and I was dropped off at a bus station which showed most destinations apart from Khao Sok! I asked at the kiosk, to be told that the bus wasn't there but would be in 5 minutes. 10 minutes later a songthaew...

We spent several low-key days just north of Phuket on Surin Beach. Not much to do but lounge around and go to the beach! We took a one-day trip to Racha Island which began with a truck full of poor, unsuspecting fools holding on for dear life as the out-of control driver tried to make up for lost time. You just have to force the images of crashing and flying out of the back of this truck or being crushed to death by all the unsecured bodies out of your mind...
Anyhow, we arrived safely and Mark flexed his diving skills and Jonas and I...

We arrive at Khao Lak early on a Saturday morning. In our absence the Thai government and public works have ripped open both sides of the main thoroughfare, so at first we are bit perplexed at the change of scenerey. However, it is not difficult to find our way to Tiffy's so that we can have the best breakfast sandwiches in South East Asia - not to mention pretty outstanding iced-coffee.
After too much breakfast we try to procure a room for our stay and with only a little wandering and searching are able to get a good price on a big (big),...

On our journey from coast to coast we needed a break from all that lounging on the beach in the sweltering sun, it's hard work! Khao Sok National Park is an area of virgin rainforest believed to contain some of the oldest flora and fauna in the world. There were only a few people in the area but we were deafened by the sound of the cicadas (noisy cricket type insect things: technical term) humming away in the trees that towered all around us.
We stayed in the best place yet - a log cabin raised above the ground with a balcony overlooking...

After getting fully wowed by Angkor Wat and surrounding ruins, I headed back to Thailand in time to catch a three day dive trip starting on the 23rd. Landed in Bangkok at 10:30 AM on the 21st, and took a 7:30 PM overnight bus to Khoa Lak, 12 hours south of Bangkok on the southern peninsula. Spent the 22nd hanging out in Khoa Lak, taking my first swim in the Andaman Sea, and watching the winter solstice sunset while walking a long (3+ kilometer) white sand beach.

After the all night train trip south we arrived in Surat Thani to catch the transfer to our next 3 days in and around the Khao Sok Nat. park (see map for location).
First stop was a tree house, perched 32 steps up ladders. We took a nature walk that ended in a 2 hour tube ride down the river. We saw a small python, gibbon monkeys, beautiful butterflies. In general we have seen very few birds and animals on this whole trip.
Then we spent 2 full days in the national park which has a huge lake in the middle of it. It took an hour boat ride...

30.11.04
Phuket - South West Thailand
Sarah and I had to fly in and out of Thailand, via Singapore (again) to get to Phuket. Pip, meanwhile, took it easy in Bangkok, slept off her hangover, and arrived an hour after us. We waited for her at the airport. At Phuket, we read the local papers and discover that while we've been mucking around in Bangkok, 78 Thai Muslim protestors have been killed in the South of Thaiand. Retaliationary attacks have been threatened in Phuket, and foreigners are being advised to stay away from Airports, police...